Barcelona/Bari, July 3^rd, 2024 – Volotea, one of the fastest-growing independent airlines in Europe, celebrated a major milestone today by officially inaugurating its eighth operating base in Italy, located in Bari, which is now the airline's 21st European base. First announced in November, the new base consolidates Volotea's presence in the Apulia region and follows the opening of the carrier's 20th base in Brest, France, in April of this year.

Since starting its operations in Bari in 2012, Volotea has transported over 2 million passengers, continuously enhancing connectivity at Karol Wojtyla Airport and improving links from the Apulia region to the rest of Italy and Europe. This year, the airline will offer more than 1,260 flights and 224,000 seats (+37% compared to 2023) and will base one Airbus A320 aircraft to serve 18 destinations from the Apulia region, nine of which are exclusively operated by the carrier. Today’s inaugural event coincides with the launch of eight new routes, which will start between July 4th and July 6th, to Bilbao, Comiso, Dubrovnik, Malaga, Preveza/Lefkada, Rhodes, Split, and Toulouse.

This rich offering of destinations enhances Volotea's varied service from Bari, where the carrier maintains high operational standards. From January to June 2024, Volotea achieved a completion factor—the percentage of successfully operated flights—of 97%. This performance is complemented by an OTP15 (on-time performance within 15 minutes) exceeding 70%.

“We have been operating in Bari since 2012, and the opening of our eighth operational base in Italy, our twenty-first in Europe, further confirms our strong partnership with this region," commented Valeria Rebasti, International Market Director of Volotea. "Thanks to this important investment, we will not only be able to support the local economy by enhancing tourism in the area, but also offer more opportunities for local communities to travel to other European countries with a rich selection of destinations. We thank the regional authorities and especially the management of Airports of Apulia, whose valuable collaboration has allowed us to achieve this milestone. We also do not want to forget the many Apulian passengers who have chosen us flight after flight, enabling us to grow over the years."

“The opening of Volotea’s base represents a significant asset for our region. The benefits will be felt not only by the airport but, more importantly, by the entire community it serves,” added Antonio Maria Vasile, President of Airports of Apulia. “The base not only increases connectivity but also boosts the local economy, benefiting Apulia’s residents and economic system. Airports of Apulia has always supported such initiatives because we believe they are fundamental for the territory and the community. The opening of a base is a crucial step in the life of an airport, especially when it is done by an airline with which we have strong commercial ties. This move, aligned with our strategic plan, will diversify the offerings of airlines, promote competitiveness, and adapt to changing market conditions for the benefit of consumers. It enables us to offer passengers a broader range of destinations and allows Airports of Apulia to expand its network. This well-considered and shared decision pleases us and reflects the significant work we have been doing to offer ever higher service standards to passengers transiting through our airports. Today is a milestone for our company, which I am honored to chair, serving as an incentive to do even better for the region, always in synergy with the Apulia region, which consistently supports us, and with airlines that prove themselves to be reliable partners.”

Volotea's new Bari base offers connections to 18 destinations: nine in Greece (Athens, Corfù, Heraklion/Crete, Mykonos, Preveza/Lefkada – New 2024, Rhodes– New 2024, Santorini, Skiathos,, and Zante), three in Italy (Comiso – New 2024, Florence, and Olbia), two in France (Lyon and Toulouse – New 2024), two in Spain (Bilbao and Malaga – both New 2024), and two in Croatia (Dubrovnik and Split – both New 2024). The airline’s offer in the Apulia region also extends to destinations served by Volotea from Brindisi, connecting Salento Airport with Nantes and Cagliari.

In Italy, Volotea will operate 171 routes this year, providing over 4.2 million seats across more than 25,000 flights. The airline directly employs 450 people in the country and enjoys high customer satisfaction, with 9 out of 10 passengers recommending Volotea to family and friends.

ABOUT VOLOTEA

Volotea was founded in 2011 by Carlos Muñoz and Lázaro Ros, also previously founders of Vueling. It is one of the fastest-growing independent airlines in Europe in the last decade, increasing its fleet, routes served, and seats offered year-on-year. This year, the airline celebrated a milestone of carrying 60 million passengers throughout its network.

Volotea reaches 110 airports and is based in 21 medium-sized European capitals: Asturias, Athens, Bari (new for 2024), Bilbao, Bordeaux, Brest (new for 2024), Cagliari, Florence, Hamburg, Lille, Lyon, Lourdes, Marseille, Nantes, Naples, Olbia, Palermo, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Venice, and Verona.

This year, Volotea will operate nearly 450 routes (with over half exclusive), offer between 12.5M and 13M seats (+12% to +16% versus 2023), and fly approximately 80,000 flights. The airline operates a fleet of 44 Airbus A319 and A320.

Volotea is working towards achieving a more sustainable future in aviation. The airline is set to achieve its target of reducing direct CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometer by 50% by 2025, five years ahead of the initial schedule. Furthermore, the airline has set a new and even more ambitious goal: to decrease emissions by 58% by 2030. To date, Volotea has launched over 50 sustainability initiatives that have already driven a reduction in carbon footprint per passenger and kilometer by more than 45%. Since 2022, the company has been working on developing emission-free alternative technologies, operating Airbus' internal shuttle service with 34% sustainable aviation fuel and collaborating with manufacturers and the industry so that these fuels (now difficult to access) can be developed and become widespread as soon as possible.

Volotea, with a projected workforce of approximately 2,100 employees this year, actively boosts connectivity within the territories where it is based while contributing to their economic development and enriching the cultural landscape through impactful sponsorship projects.

Volotea was awarded a four-star rating in 2024 and recognized by Skytrax in its global passenger satisfaction survey as the “Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe” at the 2023 and 2024 World Airline Awards, referred to by media worldwide as “the Oscars of the aviation industry.” The airline adds these accolades to its growing list of achievements, which includes consecutive wins for "Europe’s Leading Low-Cost Airline" at the World Travel Awards in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

For more information visit: https://www.volotea.com/en/press-room/ 
press@volotea.com
Tel: 93 117 17 77